Serving the Quantitative Finance Community

 
User avatar
Gamal
Posts: 1284
Joined: February 26th, 2004, 8:41 am

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

March 31st, 2015, 9:30 am

To hire a quant thru HR is a bit risky, I don't know anybody who does it that way.
 
User avatar
bearish
Posts: 5188
Joined: February 3rd, 2011, 2:19 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

March 31st, 2015, 10:11 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: GamalTo hire a quant thru HR is a bit risky, I don't know anybody who does it that way.I have done it, but you've got to keep them on a tight leash. You don't want them to insert their own judgment into the process. That being said, I think there are enough quality differences between universities that you don't want to completely ignore where somebody's PhD is from.
 
User avatar
ZhuLiAn
Posts: 0
Joined: June 9th, 2011, 7:21 am

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

March 31st, 2015, 12:05 pm

I would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.
 
User avatar
katastrofa
Posts: 7440
Joined: August 16th, 2007, 5:36 am
Location: Alpha Centauri

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 2:18 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: ZhuLiAnI would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.Is that what people without PhD usually say?
 
User avatar
ThinkDifferent
Posts: 0
Joined: March 14th, 2007, 1:09 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 3:52 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ZhuLiAnI would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.Is that what people without PhD usually say?This is what people with a french fin. eng. degree usually say :)But to be fair, I've seen very decent senior quants in the industry who are not phds (heads of FO asset classes at big banks...and by the way, they are french with fin. eng. degrees :) ). However, I am yet to see a place where a non-PhD quant is more common than an exception.Having said that, does one really need an advanced degree in a hard science to become a good quant? the field (quant finance) is young and not really that deep, by any measure. All you need is a solid (MSc level) background in math, quant finance, and work experience. ...hell, PhD is not even a must to become an outstanding physicist/mathematician (ask Freeman Dyson! :) ).
Last edited by ThinkDifferent on March 31st, 2015, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
User avatar
twofish
Posts: 0
Joined: February 18th, 2005, 6:51 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 4:12 am

For physics/math Ph.D.'s from US universities, the university doesn't make a difference. People from "top" universities go into academia instead of Wall Street, and finance is invariably a second choice. This means that when it comes to US universities, most people (including senior managers) come from places without big names, so they don't go in for this sort of stuff.It matters more if you don't go to a US university.As far as HR and other gatekeepers, it's trivial to make them think you are Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein. Use big words, and talk about quantum mechanics. They won't be able to tell the difference between a Field's medal level string theorist and a run of the mill Ph.D.
 
User avatar
Gamal
Posts: 1284
Joined: February 26th, 2004, 8:41 am

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 5:50 am

Stochastic analysis is the hard kernel of quantitative finance, optimization and C++ are important but not that crucial. There are two places to learn good stochastic analysis - Moscow State University and Ecole Polytechnique.
 
User avatar
Cuchulainn
Posts: 20254
Joined: July 16th, 2004, 7:38 am
Location: 20, 000

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 7:03 am

Nice to see @twofish
 
User avatar
emac
Posts: 1
Joined: July 7th, 2009, 7:15 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 7:32 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: GamalStochastic analysis is the hard kernel of quantitative finance, optimization and C++ are important but not that crucial. There are two places to learn good stochastic analysis - Moscow State University and Ecole Polytechnique.They are good places but obviously not the only ones. If you did a PhD with Martin Hairer at Warwick, I imagine you would learn some "good stochastic analysis".
 
User avatar
Gamal
Posts: 1284
Joined: February 26th, 2004, 8:41 am

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 9:06 am

Better than Nicole El Karoui?
 
User avatar
ThinkDifferent
Posts: 0
Joined: March 14th, 2007, 1:09 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 9:49 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: emacQuoteOriginally posted by: GamalStochastic analysis is the hard kernel of quantitative finance, optimization and C++ are important but not that crucial. There are two places to learn good stochastic analysis - Moscow State University and Ecole Polytechnique.They are good places but obviously not the only ones. If you did a PhD with Martin Hairer at Warwick, I imagine you would learn some "good stochastic analysis".some good stochastic calculus that a dozen of people in the world would understand....
 
User avatar
katastrofa
Posts: 7440
Joined: August 16th, 2007, 5:36 am
Location: Alpha Centauri

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 8:35 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: ThinkDifferentQuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ZhuLiAnI would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.Is that what people without PhD usually say?This is what people with a french fin. eng. degree usually say :)But to be fair, I've seen very decent senior quants in the industry who are not phds (heads of FO asset classes at big banks...and by the way, they are french with fin. eng. degrees :) ). However, I am yet to see a place where a non-PhD quant is more common than an exception.Having said that, does one really need an advanced degree in a hard science to become a good quant? the field (quant finance) is young and not really that deep, by any measure. All you need is a solid (MSc level) background in math, quant finance, and work experience. ...hell, PhD is not even a must to become an outstanding physicist/mathematician (ask Freeman Dyson! :) ).Maybe if you had a PhD, you wouldn't be fascinated with guys like Dyson :-)
 
User avatar
ThinkDifferent
Posts: 0
Joined: March 14th, 2007, 1:09 pm

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 1st, 2015, 11:48 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ThinkDifferentQuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ZhuLiAnI would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.Is that what people without PhD usually say?This is what people with a french fin. eng. degree usually say :)But to be fair, I've seen very decent senior quants in the industry who are not phds (heads of FO asset classes at big banks...and by the way, they are french with fin. eng. degrees :) ). However, I am yet to see a place where a non-PhD quant is more common than an exception.Having said that, does one really need an advanced degree in a hard science to become a good quant? the field (quant finance) is young and not really that deep, by any measure. All you need is a solid (MSc level) background in math, quant finance, and work experience. ...hell, PhD is not even a must to become an outstanding physicist/mathematician (ask Freeman Dyson! :) ).Maybe if you had a PhD, you wouldn't be fascinated with guys like Dyson :-)oohh. please. (your + my phd) * 1,000 < Dyson.unless you are thinking about this kind of PhD
 
User avatar
katastrofa
Posts: 7440
Joined: August 16th, 2007, 5:36 am
Location: Alpha Centauri

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 2nd, 2015, 1:32 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: ThinkDifferentQuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ThinkDifferentQuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaQuoteOriginally posted by: ZhuLiAnI would say industry experience is more valuable than PhD for quant industry.Is that what people without PhD usually say?This is what people with a french fin. eng. degree usually say :)But to be fair, I've seen very decent senior quants in the industry who are not phds (heads of FO asset classes at big banks...and by the way, they are french with fin. eng. degrees :) ). However, I am yet to see a place where a non-PhD quant is more common than an exception.Having said that, does one really need an advanced degree in a hard science to become a good quant? the field (quant finance) is young and not really that deep, by any measure. All you need is a solid (MSc level) background in math, quant finance, and work experience. ...hell, PhD is not even a must to become an outstanding physicist/mathematician (ask Freeman Dyson! :) ).Maybe if you had a PhD, you wouldn't be fascinated with guys like Dyson :-)oohh. please. (your + my phd) * 1,000 < Dyson.unless you are thinking about this kind of PhDIf you did a PhD, I may probably grow one of these overnight... I'm off - enjoy watching Friends.
 
User avatar
Cuchulainn
Posts: 20254
Joined: July 16th, 2004, 7:38 am
Location: 20, 000

Which of these PhD is better for quant industry?

April 2nd, 2015, 6:41 am

Most PhDs are 5% inspiration(supervisor say "generalize my pet topic") and 95% perspiration.